The Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), in resolution IEEE 802.11, also referred as “802.11”, has defined a plurality of specifications which are related to wireless networking. With current existing 802.11 standards, such as 802.11(a), (b), (g), which can support up to 54 Mbps data rates, either in 2.4 GHz or in 5 GHz frequency bands, the IEEE standards body created a new task group, 802.11n, to support higher than 100 Mbps data rates. Among them are being discussed specifications for “closed loop” feedback mechanisms by which a receiving station may feed back information to a transmitting station to assist the transmitting station in adapting signals, which are sent to the receiving station.
In closed loop feedback systems, a transmitting station may utilize feedback information from a receiving station to transmit subsequent signals in what is called “beamforming”. Beamforming is a technique to steer signals to a certain direction for the receiver to receive it more reliably with less noise and interference. Compounded with demands for new features and capabilities, various proposals for new 802.11n based feedback mechanisms are emerging to address the demand for these new features and capabilities. For example, there exists a demand for the introduction of new capabilities, which may enable a receiving mobile terminal to feedback pertinent information to a transmitting mobile terminal. This feedback of pertinent information may enable the transmitting mobile terminal to adapt its mode of transmission based upon the feedback information provided by the receiving mobile terminal. As with any communication system, a major goal is to enable the transmitting mobile station to achieve a higher information transfer rate to the receiving mobile terminal, while simultaneously achieving a lower packet error rate (PER). Notwithstanding, there are no existing methodologies that adequately address these shortcomings and/or satisfy the demand for these new features and capabilities in WLANs.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.